Sheet-metal lath



Parental Nov. 23,1926. n UNITED STATES JAMES H. DEAN, OF- LUDINGTON, .MICHIGAINL ASSIGNOR TO- NOBTBWESTERN EX- vIllIiIINOIS, A CORR()RATION'` 0F ILLINOIS. y u

PANDED METAL COMPANY, OF CHYICAGQ,

i y "1,608,476 PATENT OFFICE.

snaar-METAL LATE.

ajppnation'sied December The object .of this 'invention to' form expanded metal lath having longitudinally ex- Vtending ribswithgioups ot meshes preterably ot' rectangular-formbetween the ribs, the meshes of each group being arranged in',

rows and the meshesof the rows, or of some thereof, varying in size 'as desired. y

The invention consists `generally in the lath hereinafter described and claimed and i0 inthe method 'orfprocess of malring the same. In the accompanying drawings forming Y part of this specifications i Figure 1 is Aaplan view ofa section of sheet metal showing the preferred manner '-15 of cutting the slits therein preparatory to forming the meshes in the lath;

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the metal lath showing the preferred form and arrangement of the meshes therein, and

l0 alsoshowing the longitudinal ribsvbetween the groups of meshes; and

Figure is a detail sectional view show.-

ing the lath mounted upon a wall andthe plaster applied thereto.

. In carrying out my invention I provide a sheet of metal 4 of Jtheweight yand thickness usual for makinglath, and I c ut therein groups ot diagonally extending slits 8 and 9 having unslitted sections or portions 5 and` '3 6 between said groups of slits (Figure 1).

As here shown the unslitted portions 5' and 6 are bent to form longitudinally 'extending ribs 11 and 12, the ribs ll'formed from theA wider unslitted portions 5'bein deeper than :i5 the ribs 12 whichare formed rom Athe narrower unslitted portions 6.

After the sheet is slitted it is expanded and the sheet is thereby provided with the longitudinal rowsV of rectangular meshes,

40 the meshes of each row being all of the same size, but differing in size from the -meshes of theother rows, or'some thereof.

An important feature of this invention resides in the novel method of arranging the'slits that form the meshes 14, 15 and 16 between the respective ribs 11 and 12. Re-

erring to Figure 2 it will be noted that the meshes here shown are substantially square in form, and that. the meshes in each row are of uniform size, vbut that the meshes in the adjacent rows are of a different size. YIt

will be noted that the strands 17 bonding strips 18,'and the ribs 11 and 12, which dene thegmeshes 14, 15 and 16, are arranged atright angles to one another, thereby con- 1, i925. seriaim. 73,802. l'

Vstructing a l'athhalvinga plurality of vertically and horizontally arranged members. The purpose of constructingthe lath with 'groups of meshes in which the meshes in Aeach, rowof a given i roup are of 4a different size than the mes fes in adjacent rows, is to effect a saving in the amount of plaster ,required to cover the lath, in that only a small portion` of the plaster will be forced through the relatively small meshes 15 and 16, w vile a greater portion will be forced through the larger meshes 14 to provide an anchor or key to hold the plaster in place.'

The groups of diagonally extending slits cut in the sheet metal blank between the spaces 5 and 6. from which the ribs 11 and 12 are formed, are preferably arranged as A shown 4in Figurev 1. As here shown, three rows of slits are provided between each pair of unslitted portions of the blank. The slits 19, vwhich are relatively longer, are arranged in parallel relation with one another, and shorter slits 21, inthe intermel diate row of each group, are also arranged in parallel relation with one\another but at a slightly differentangle with relation to the slits 19. The slits 22, shorter than the slits 21,- are likewise parallel -with the other slits in the same group and are arranged fat a dilierent angle relative to -the slits 19 and 21 in the other rows. In cutting the slits 19, 21 and 22 in the blank, the strands 17 are preferably ot uniform width, and the bonding strips 18 are likewise of a uniform width so that when thesheet is expanded as shown in Figure 2, the strands 17 will all e of'uniformv width as will also be the bonding strips 18.

rlhe sizes of the meshes lare determined by the lengths of the slits 19, 21 and 22. I usually arrange the largest meshes on opposite sides -of the largerv ribs 11, whereby the larger amount of plaster will 'pass through the lath nearthese ribs and thereby firmly ylock the plaster sheet to the lath contiguous to the lines of fastening of the lath to the wall..

In the,l drawings I have shown a metal lath comprising three rows of meshes between ad- Y jacent ribs, and the meshes of each row varying in size from the meshes ofadjacent rows. The meshes may also vary in arrangement from that shown in Figure 2, as for instance, the outer rows of meshes '14 may be of the same size as the inner rows of meshes 16,

01;. if desired, the intermediate rows of meshes 15J may be larger than the meshes 14 and 16 in the adjacent rows. The larger ribs 11 are of suilicientsize vto receive the nails 23 for securing the lath to the building wall as shown in Figure 3.

It is, therefore, possible by this method, to produce lath with any desired variation inthe sizes of the meshes of the dii'erent rows.

I do not wish, however,V to confine the invention to this particular construction, as,

any suitable number of rows vof meshes. may

be providedl between the ribs Without depart parallelisections with rows of meshes between said sections, the meshes of any row being of the same size but diiering from those of other rows.

3. As a new article of manufacture, an expanded metal sheet provided with unslitted parallel sections having ribs formed in said sections with rows of meshes between said sections, the meshes of any row being of the same size but differing from those of other rows.

panded metal sheet provided Vwith unslitted parallel sections having ribs formed therein, and with rows of meshes between said sections,'the meshes of any row being of the same size but differing from those of other 4. As a new article of manufacture, an er.-v

rows and the larger meshes being adjacent unslitted portions of. the sheet.

In Witness whereof,- I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of October, 1925.

JAMES n. DEAN; 

